The present invention relates generally to closure devices and, more particularly, to a closure device having interlocking fastening strips, a slider member comprised of separate first and second housing segments, and a latching mechanism for use in assembling the first and second housing segments together onto the interlocking fastening strips. The inventive closure device may be employed in traditional fastener areas and is particularly well suited for fastening flexible storage containers, such as plastic bags.
The use of closure devices for fastening storage containers, including plastic bags, is generally well known. Furthermore, the manufacture of closure devices made of plastic materials is generally well known to those skilled in the art, as demonstrated by the numerous patents in this area.
A particularly well-known-use for closure devices is in connection with flexible storage containers, such as plastic bags. Such closure devices provide a convenient way to close the bag in order to retain matter therein.
Conventional closure devices typically utilize mating fastening strips or closure elements which are used to selectively seal the bag. With such closure devices, however, it is often difficult to determine whether the fastening strips are fully occluded. This problem is particularly acute when the fastening strips are relatively narrow. Accordingly, when such fastening strips are employed, there exists a reasonable likelihood that the closure device is at least partially open.
Such fastening strips are particularly difficult to manipulate or handle by individuals with limited manual dexterity. Thus, in order to assist these individuals and for ease of use by individuals with normal dexterity, the prior art has provided sliders for use in opening and closing the fastening strips, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,199,845, 5,007,142, 5,007,143, 5,010,627, 5,020,194, 5,070,583, 5,283,932, 5,301,394, 5,426,830, 5,431,760, 5,442,838, and 5,448,808. Some of these sliders include a separator finger which extends at least partially between the fastening strips. When the slider is moved in the appropriate direction, the separator finger divides the fastening strips and opens and the bag.
While the use of a slider certainly facilitates the opening and closing of fastening strips, there are certain difficulties involved with installing and assembling the slider onto the fastening strips and with retaining the slider thereon. In an attempt to rectify some of these difficulties, the prior art has provided a variety of slider designs including various multi-piece sliders, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,007,142, 5,283,932, and 5,426,830. These multi-piece sliders suffer from deficiencies including, for example, a relatively complex construction, a high relative cost, and a relatively difficult installation upon and assembly onto the fastening strips.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a slider member for closure devices which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a multi-piece slider member for closure devices which is easily installed upon and assembled onto interlocking fastening strips.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a-multi-piece slider member for closure devices which is formed of separate housing segments and includes a latching mechanism for use in assembling these housing segments together upon interlocking fastening strips.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-piece slider member as characterized above which is convenient to use.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a multi-piece slider member of the foregoing type which is relatively simple and economical in construction, and which lends itself to reliable operation sold use.
Accordingly, a multi-piece slider member is provided for use with a closure device having interlocking fastening strips disposed along opposing side walls of a storage container, such as a conventional plastic bag. The slider member comprises a first housing segment, a separate second housing segment, and a latching mechanism for use in assembling the first and second housing segments together onto the fastening strips. The latching mechanism includes a first member disposed on the first housing segment and a cooperating second member disposed on the second housing segment. The first and second members of the latching mechanism each have a shoulder with an edge portion. When the first and second housing segments are moved together during assembly, the second member of the latching mechanism receives the first member of the latching mechanism while the edge portion of the first member engages the edge portion of the second member to hold the first and second housing segments together in an assembled position.